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Pioneer Sketches 

NEBRASKA and TEXAS 




Ubioneer Sketcbes 

NEBRASKA and TEXAS 




Si^wa^,w/ 




mCO, TEXAS 

HICO FRIlSfTING CO. 

1015 






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^ CONTENTS 



Ox Team Days 1 

Trying Times in 1873 4 

Early Days in Nuckolls County 8 

Recollections of Pioneer Life 11 

Some First Things 15 

Reminisences of 1873-4 17 

Death of James Parkerson, Aged 118 Years 28 

The Famous Dove Creek Fight 25 

Murder of Ann Whitney and Amanda Howard's Bravery..36 

The Beautiful Steer 43 

Interesting Events of Early Days 45 

First Wagon Though Town of Indian Gap 47 

First Election Held in Bosque County 50 

Early Schools of Dublin, Texas 52 

Death of Prof. Albert D. Wallace 56 



FOREWORD 



This little volume was begun while the compiler was edi- 
tor of the Nuckolls County Herald, Nelson, Nebraska, in the 
spring of 1910, and was reprinted from a series of papers 
published in that newspaper. In May of that year, I moved 
to Hico, Texas, where I was elected editor of the News-Re- 
view. After entering my editorial duties in the latter office 
I resumed the publication of the sketches, but concerning 
Texas history only. 

These sketches are not as complete as they might have 
been, but are just as the articles appeared in the two above 
papers. It was not our intention to make a volume beauti- 
ful, but merely to record and preserve these items of history 
for future generations to read. 

If these chapters have entertained you, and incidentially 
instructed you, -we feel repaid for our efforts. 

W. STRALEY. 
Hico, Texas, October 21, 1915. 



I. -ox TEAM DAYS. 




N the days prior to the placing of the county seat 
of Nuckolls county at Nelson, in fact before Nel- 
son was even large enough to scarcely be called a 
hamlet, there moved to this section from the 
eastern part of the state one Joseph VanValin 
together with his family, consisting of a wife 
and three sons. This was in '73. 

Mr. VanValin settled on a tract one mile east 
of Nelson, which he put into cultivation. 

In those days a house in this section was a luxury enjoy- 
ed by a few. The dug-out was the usual place of abode, 
and in such Mr. VanValin and family continued to reside for 
some six years. These dug-out dwellings were not very 
substantially built, nor were they as rainproof as the modern 
houses whicn are now our homes. In speaking of those days, 
long since past, with the estimable wife of the pioneer, she 
laughed at the many "soakings" they received during those 
six years, as the scenes of by-gone days passed before her 
mind. Every rain played havoc with the dirt roof until fin- 
ally Mr. Van Valin went to Edgar and procured lumber and 
shingles and built a much better roof to his under-ground 
home. 

In thoi^e days horses were scarce, and the hardy pioneer 
used oxen in their stead. An ox team now would be an in- 
teresting and amusing sight to the present inhabitants of 
Nelson and vicinity. But in the 70's the ox was it. So, of 
course, Mr. Van Valin had such a team; one of which was 
"muly" -had no horns. 



2 pioneer Shetcbes. 

During one nice day in the summer of '74 Messrs. Van Va- 
lin and Byron Adkisson were to work the public road about 
two miles west of our present Nelson. On the way as they 
passed through the little settlement, Mrs. VanValin accom- 
panying them, they went to each house and gathered up the 
women folks to go along and spend the day with the wife of 
Mr. R. M. Gourley, who lived near where the road work was 
to be done. 

The entire female population of the little burg were soon 
on the ox-wagon excursion — viz: Mesdames Adkisson, Rit- 
terbush and Follmer and Miss Josie Adkisson (now the wife 
of Judge Hall). 

The start was made and everything was going smoothly 
until the team started down the hill near the Gray place a 
mile west of Nelson, when something happened. In going 
down hill the oxen tried to hold back, and as the "muly" 
one pulled back the absence of the horns let the yoke slip 
over his head, which put the party in a very peculiar pre- 
dicament, and caused the two gentlemen quite a bit of 
trouble in getting the ox back in place and moving the wag- 
on safely down the hill. But all were glad that the acci- 
dent did not prove disastrous. They continued the journey, 
spent an enjoyable day with Mrs. Gourley and in the evening 
returned home, each feeling refreshed by the outing and a 
chance to enjoy a few hours together socially. 

Game was quite plentiful at that time— deer, turkeys, 
prairie chickens, quail, etc. One evening Mr. VanValin 
while on his way home passed the place east of town now 
owned by Mr. Scherzinger when he saw a number of wild 
turkeys alierht in a tree, and not having a gun to shoot them 
with he proceeded to throw a club at them and succeeded in 
knocking one out, which he secured and took home ^ith him 
and on the next day had turkey for dinner. 



pioneer Shetcbee, 3 

Now the dug-eut is gone; the game is here no mere; and 
the oxen has been replaced by the horse and foul smelling 
automobile. 




FIRST FRAME HOUSE IN NELSON 
Courtsej' Nelson Gazette. 




II.— TRYING TIMES IN 1873. 

HE following sketch was handed us by Mr. D. W. 
Wright of Nelson. He has pictured the experi- 
ences his father's family underwent in Nuckolls 
county in the year 1873. His father, W. B. 
Wright, is now living on the old homestead 
southeast of Nelson. 



"We siarted fiom near Otomway, Iowa, with 
a good team of horses and a few cattle, and larded at Beat- 
rice in the latter part of September, 1872, where we winter- 
ed, as they said there was nothing to do for a living farther 
west. 

"During our stay in Beatrice, father hauled rock for some 
of the best buildings there. 

"He paid $300 for the right of a homestead to C. J. Ja- 
cobs, Alfred Harsis' father-in-law. Then we traded for two 
yoke of oxen to begin life right in the West. 

"We arrived at our homestead in Nuckolls county, May 
10, 1873. There were ten acres of broken land on the place 
and 9x12 *dug-out' on the southeast corner of the tract. 
This *dug-out' had a half window in the gabled front. There 
were six of us in the family, and we had a bed, stove, table 
and several boxes in this 9x12 room. Sister and I slept on 
the table, and were always sure of our bed being made. 

"Father had $7 in money to build and do all the improv- 
ing with, and with which to keep up a sickly wife and a fam- 
ily of helpless children. 



ptoncec Shetcbee. 5 

"His machinery consisted of a wagon, breaking plow, 
harrow, scythe, axe, hoe and a li-inch auger. 

"Our nearest neighbor on the east was Alfred Harris, 
two miles; on the north, Mr. Alender, one and a half miles; 
on the west they said twenty miles— but we never saw him. 

"We sowed the ten acres in wheat the first year, cut it 
with a oradle and threshed it with a flail. 

"Father began to break prairie, and soon the plow blade 
got dull. He cold-hammered it out on a piece of railroad 
rail about eight inches long for an anvil. This did not do 
very well, so he built a furnace out of sod in which to heat 
his lays. He used wood instead of coal to heat them with. 
His cutter broke and he could not weld it, so he carried it 
about twelve miles distant to a man who had a forge and 
coal to get it mended. 

"We planted some sod corn. Father took the axe and I 
the corn; he drove the axe through the sod and I dropped in 
the corn, and then another lick with the axe and the seed 
was covered. 

"When it did not rain enoagh to fill the ponds (buffalo 
wallows) to water the cattle, sister and I drove them 
once a day to a pond in a draw two miles east of us, where 
there was water. We were afraid and disliked it very much, 
but it had to be done. When the wiggle- tails were too 
thick to strain out of the water from the little holes in the 
draws, father hauled water in a barrel on a sled from Mr. 
Alender's. 

"When we went visiting we rode on a sled. In the 
summer-time the wagon-bed was set off on some blocks, as 
that was the only means of keeping the clothing dry, as it 
had a good cover, and the 'dug-out' leaked— and there was 
not room to put the things and live there too. 

"Father had to build a house, so during the summer he 



6 ptoncer Shetcbcs. 

cut logs on the creeks from far and near, as the right 
lengths were hard to find. The logs were twenty-eight feet 
long and so crooked that when one end was on the wagon 
the other was laying on the ground— some of them had to be 
swung under the wagon and hauled home in that n.anner. 
In the fall we had a log raising. Among those who helped 

to raise the house were: Fred and Alfred Harris, . Al- 

ender, T. J. Hewett, E. L. Downing, and others. We used 
mud for mortar to fill the cracks between the logs, and 
chuncks of wood in the holes formed by the crooked timbers. 
The house was covered with a series of ribs, over which was 
put a layer of willows, which in turn was covered with 
grass, then a final covering of earth on top of all— not a 
board was used in the entire building. At first we hung up 
a piece of old carpet for a door — the building also had two 
half windows. When a door was finally put in, the lumber 
and nails came from Sutton, about forty miles distant. The 
grass was knee-high under the bed for a year or two, as we 
did not get to tramp it off there. 

"Father made us a bedstead, split from a log. He made 
us shoes out of the tops of old boots which had been brought 
along in case of necessity; and the soles were made out of 
saddle skirts, as we did not need the saddles— our oxen not 
being broke to ride. 

"In the summer while we were in the *dug-out' father 
heard a terrible noise which sounded like some one in deep 
distress; he went out and listened, and it proved to be a 
bunch of Texas cattle^ which had stampeded. A man was 
on a pony ahead of the cattle hollowing as loud as he could, 
endeavoring to attract the cattle so that he could turn them 
to stop -get them to mill, as we say, or come into the back 



1 These cattle were being herded here at that time. 



pioneer Sftetcbcs. 7 

part of the herd, when they would run in a circle and then 
break up. About ninety head lost their horns during the 
stampede, caused by striking against one another in the run. 

"There were lots of deer and antelope here in those days. 
One day mother and I saw animals coming into our corn so 
we took the dog and chased them off; they proved to be deer. 
Father saw a few buffalo. There were lots of paririe chick- 
ens on the prairie, but no quail. 

"In August the county was devasted by a prairie fire. 

"The up-land hay was no good, and what was secured 
had to be cut in the draws. 

"We were ready for winter in our new home, the largest 
log house in the county, and we thought it a mansion— dirt 
floor and roof. We had a cross log to hold up the long logs 
in the roof, the cross logs being about five feet above the 
floor. These cross logs felt many a soft head that bumped 
them. Ask Will Welch if he ever felt the soft side of one 
of these logs. " 




Nuckolls County's First Court House. 
Courtesv Nelson Gazette. 




III.— EARLY DAYS IN NUCKOLLS COUNTY. 

NARRATED BY MR. D. W. SMITH. 

SETTLED on a homestead in Nuckolls county, 
Nebraska, in April, 1872; my wife^ coming to me 
six months later. We bore the inconveniences in- 
cident to pioneer life together, ever striving for 
the betterment of our home and community. 
Luxuries of life were few. 
We saw the buffalo here in 1873. 
We broke up the wild prairie; cultivated and 
planted with our own hands the first fruit tree— watched it 
grow until it produced the long-looked for fruit, that we 
might eat and enjoy the fruits of our own hands. 

We helped to organize and build school houses and 
churches in which our children and grand-children could be 
educated and taught "the way of Life," that they may he 
good and useful citizens of the county and community in 
which they live. 

We have often asked this question: "Have we done any 
good?" Children and grand-children, take a walk with us 
over the roads, wade the rivers, walk the streets of our 
county seat on the native sod as we did not so many years 
ago. Yet, some of us are still here to wal with you on 
graded roads, cross the rivers over good bridges, a«d walk 
on paved walks in our county seat. "Have we done any 



I Mrs. Smith dieJ at Hastlugs. Nebraska. February S. 1^10.- En. 



pioneer Shetcbes. 9 

good?" We abide by your verdict, for it will not be long 
until our st®ry will pass into the history of the past. 

We claim the distinction of being the parents of the first 
white children born in Nuckolls county after the organiza- 
tion. On November 19, 1872, twins were born to us, viz: 
Hiram W. Smith and Katy B. (now the wife of Mr. R. F. 
Harriett)— all continue to reside in the county. 

I am one who voted to locate the county seat at Nelson. 

Personally I claim ancestorial pioneer blood— my grand- 
father was among the first settlers who crossed the Ohio 
river where Stubenville now stands, and helped to build the 
first stockade there for defense against the Indians. From 
there with eighteen other men he migrated to near where 
Wooster, in Wayne county, Ohio, now is, and where my 
father, John M. Smith, was born in October, 1817. The In- 
dians were plentiful in those days and had to be watched 
closely. Many are the stories of Indian butchery of those 
days which have been told me. I was born near Wooster, 
June 9, 1844. In 1850, I, with my father's family, removed 
to Allen county, Indiana, where on August 9, 1862, I enlist- 
ed in Company H 89th Indiana Infantry to take a three-year 
course in a "military school"— and was tutored in genuine 
instead of sham battles, 

I have not had any fights with the Indians since coming 
to Nebraska, yet they have camped on my farm here many 
times during the early settlement of the county. I am not 
a friend to the Red Man. 

I might tell many stories of my camping out on the prai- 
rie, fording swollen streamF!, traveling through rain and 
snow storms with well huger, and later with corn sheller and 
threshing machine. 

During the early days here the people were kind and 
very hospitable, but often the little shanty would not ac- 



10 pioneer Shetcbes. 

commodate all the guests, when they would go to the sheds, 
hay and straw stacks and arrange for a night's rest and 
sleep as best they could. I will give one such incident. At 
one place where we were threshing the crowd was too large 
to be accommodated in the shanty for the night, so the good 
woman gave us a quilt, which we took and arranged our bed 
on top of the threshed grain in a bin which had no roof. We 
were awakened in the night by the flashes of lightning and 
peals of thunder, and we had to change beds on short netice 
or get a good soaking. As the grain bin and straw stacks 
were no safe shelter from such a rain as was approaching, 
we took our quilts and got down under the bin, where we 
drove out an old sow and her pigs and occupied her bed 'till 
morning. But, oh! the fleas! If you want a witness to this 
story call on J. L. Donahoo or Ed. LaBounty. 





IV.— RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER LIFE. 

NARRATED BY MRS. ALICE HENBY-SAVIN. 

HEN my father, Willis Henby, with his family set- 
tled in Nuckolls county m 1870 the county was not 
organized, and was inhabited by Indians and wild 
animals. 

Our transportation from Iowa was with one 
team of horses and one of oxen hitched to emi- 
grant wagons containing our family and all our 
household goods; three good cows wer« brought 
with us. 

The first thing in the way of improvements when we 
landed on the homestead was the making of a "dug-out" 
(that's a house dug irt the side of a bank) ; it was 12x16 with 
one window and one door; a fire-place was built in one end 
with a sod chimney; the floor was of dirt; the roof was cov- 
ered with poles and brush, then sod and dirt on top. Our 
house was comfortable, but very dark when the door was 
closed, as the one window was just one sash. We lived in 
this house five years, then built a two-story house 18x24, 
which looked almost like a mansion in that day. But how 
happy we were to get out of the old "dug-out" and live on 
top of the ground once more. 

My father went to Blue Springs the first winter w« lived 
here and traded his ox team for flour and provisions to sup- 
ply us the first year. Although he needed them to break out 
his claim, as oxen were used mostly for that kind of work, 



12 ptoncer Shetcbes. 

but his family had to have bread, and there was no other 
way to get it and hold down the homestead. 

The first winter we spent here was very mild (no snow) 
and our cows lived on the buffalo grass and looked well. 
But in the spring, when the wild flowers were in bloom, I 
think it was in April, we experienced a three days' blizzard 
that did much damage. All stock that was loose drifted with 
the storm and perished, and some were drifted under in 
sheds and smothered. We had some young calves, and hav- 
ing no place of shelter for them, we put them in our covered 
wagon and they came through alright. 

One incident of that blizzard we have often laughed about, 
my father wore ?, high silk hat (such as they wore at that 
tima) ; he thought he would see how things were and when 
he stuck his head out of the door the wind struck his hat 
with such force as to carry it over in Thayer county, where 
it was found after the snow went off. 

Our greatest dread and fear the first year was Indians 
and prairie fires. 

The Indians had made a raid through this country the 
spring before, killing a man living near the Blue river and 
took his team, then had a fight with the soldiers half a mile 
from our home. The soldiers shot down their own ponies to 
make a breast-work for defense during the fight. Of course 
the settlers expected the Indians any time the following 
spring. Many false rumors were started about the Indians 
coming. An Englishman who was getting wood on Spring 
creek came rushing in, much excited, and informed us that 
the Indians were coming. He said, "Hi knew they weren't 
hantalope, for hi see their 'eads!'. But they proved to be 
men looking up land. The Indians did not bother us, and all 
alarms proved false. 

But we did have some experience with prairie fires. Once 





* 


■^ 


% 1 








— t. 

K 

I- 



pioneer Sfietcbes. 13 

they swept Spring creek, burned out our corrals and stam- 
peded our cattle. Father went to look for them and night 
overtook him causing him to lose his way and wander around 
all night, and morning found him in Kansas, near the White 
Rock mounds. He knew where he was then, and returned 
home, finding the cattle had come home before him. For 
days the timber burning on the creek made it almost suffo- 
cating for us. 

There was much wild game here— buffalo, deer, elk and 
antelope. Every spring my father would kill enough buffalo 
to supply our summer's meat, which was cured and dried, 
and very good, we thought. Through the season we would 
often have fresh antelope meat, which tasted something like 
mutton. Elk and deer were somewhat scarce at times. 

My brother. Will, caught a young antelope in the grass, 
where it had been hid by its mother, and was just a few 
days old; we made a pet of it— called him "Bob." He soon 
learned his name, and would drink milk from our hands. 
This animal was a beauty, but when his antlers grew he 
proved worse than a "billy goat" to butt, and the only way 
we could get rid of his charges on us was to set the dogs aft- 
er him; no dog could catch him, but he would give them 1 
merry chase. He got so he would run away and people 
would shoot at him, and caused us so much trouble that 
brother sold him. 

Once when my brother, Oscar, and I were herding the 
cattle we heard a rumbling noise that sounded like distant 
thunder. In a moment we knew what it was. I said, "Let's 
run for home;" but he (boylike) said, "No, let's hide be- 
hind a hill and see them!" It was a bunch of nine buffalo, 
bellowing and pawing the earth, for they were closely pur- 
sued by hunter?, and some of them were wounded. We did 
not realize the danger we were in at the time, because if the 



14 pioneer Shetcbes. 

buffalo had icented us there would have been no one left to 
tell this story. 

Our first Sunday schools were held from house t© house, 
and although some had to walk or drive oxen they would go 
for miles to attend and have a social time together. 

There was no preaching for several years. 

Our nearest railroad station was Nebraska City, 150 miles 
•way. 

Our postoffioe was Hebron, 20 miles distant, where we got 
our mail once a week. 

The first wheat we raised we took to a flouring mill in 
Jefferson county, some 35 miles distant It took three days 
to make the round trip. Once we got out of breadstuff be- 
fore father could make the trip, so we used potatoes instead. 

The first school I attended in Nebiaska was in a little 
10x12 "dug-out" with rude benches for seats. We furnish- 
ed our own books; and there were three pupils in attendance. 
We had a spelling school one night. My! what a grand af- 
fair we thought it People came for miles; one family 
walked five miles and back that night. Everyone took part 
in the spelling match. That seemed to be a beginning of in- 
terest along educational lines. 

I might tell of hardships and privations we met from 
grasshoppers, hailstorms and drouths, but my story is long 
enough, so I will leave that for others to tell. 



V.-SOME FIRST THINGS. 

NARRATED BY MRS. JOSEPH VANVALIN. 




E came tu Saunders county, Nebraska, in 1871, 
and removed to Nuckolls county in September, 
1873; making the trip overland with two wagons, 
one being drawn by oxen; was eight days on the 
road. 

Mr. VanValin had been here during the sum- 
mer breaking and planting the ground to sod 
corn. The next year he planted wheat and corn. 
The wheat was securely stacked when the grasshoppers 
came and deliberately robbed us of every bit of com and 
garden truck, except parts of several cabbage heads, which, 
after considering my safety to venture forth into such an 
army, I gathered a wash boiler full of the remains of the 
garden. 

Frank Thompson stated that one of the big grasshoppers 
had the audacity to ask him for a chew of tobacco. They 
certainly were saucy enough to do anything. 

The school house in District No. 14, two miles east of 
Nelson, was built that fall, and the first teacher was Miss 
Ola Carlon, afterwards Mrs. Ethan Parker, who is well 
known here by the older citizens. 

The first church building was erected by the members of 
different denominations, but owned by the so-called Chris- 
tian church. 



i6 pioneer Sketcbes. 

It is interesting to settle on the frontier and watch the 
progress and development in the different stages. 

What we considered the greatest thing with which we 
had to contend was the prairie fires. 

Despite the struggles and privations there were plersures 
on every hand, if we would but look on the bright side. 

F. A. Long conducted the first hotel in Nelson. 

The first newspaper, The. Inter Ocean, was established by 
Dr. Case, assisted by a young man named Oakey Mamey. 
Dr. Case was Nelson's first physician. 

The first legal light was Dan Barker. 





NUCKOLLS COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 




I> W WKKIIir 




VI.— REMINISENCES OF 1873-4. 

NARRATED BY MR. D. W. WRIGHT. 

URING one cold night in the winter of 1873-4 the 
squall of a chicken woke father, and he yelled so 
loud that the wolf which was after the chicken 
left it. But in a short time the animal tried to 
get the fowl again, and Dnce more father yelled, 
which caused the intruder to leave. The fowl was 
found next morning to be unharmed. For some 
reason the dog was not at home. 
During this winter we dug a well. It was 63 feet deep 
and was walled up with stone for about 15 feet, and was 
never walled any farther. This well did not cave so long as 
the water was kept from running in at the top. We drew 
the water with a windless, which was used to take out the 
dirt while digging the well, and was a rather slow process. 
But sister and I could draw the water by having a handle at 
each end of the rope beam. The first summer this well was 
in use we kept it covered with boards — the sideboards off 
the wagon. At one time a sow with her pigs were in the 
yard, and while the dog was chasing her away she ran 
across ore end of the boards titlting up the other end under 
which one of the little pigs ran into the well. We heard 
the apla?h. The little fellow swam around until we got the 
half barrel, which had been used to haul the dirt up in, 
which we lowered into the water and the pig swam into the 
tub and was hoisted out unhurt, after a fall of 63 feet. It 



x8 pioneer Sftetcbee. 

wai a happy pig, and glad to get back to its mamma. This 
well was also used as a refrigerator in which we kept our 
butter firm and cool— by lowering the pail containing the 
Crtkes down quite a distance attached to a cord. 

We lost the best yoke of oxen we had during the winter. 
They were of the long horn Texas variety. They threw 
themselves one night, and beooming chilled their legs were 
soon frozen, and they would not try to get up. These ani- 
mals were brown and each had a set of horns which meas- 
ured some four feet from tip to tip. I used to feel very 
small when they vvould stick up their heads and look wild- 
like at me. I could not do anything with them unless they 
were yoked up, as they were not very tame. 

We had the native yoke of cattle left, but they were old. 

We put in our crop of corn and began to break out more 
land. 

In the summer we could see he grasshoppers flying 
north, and they were so thick that a person could look at the 
sun at noonday without dazzlin? the eyes. 

Our corn was a little late, and one afternoon about four 
o'clock the 'hoppers began to light in on us from the north, 
and in half an hour the yr.rd was completely covered with 
them, as also was the corn. They made a roaring noise in 
eating the corn plants. The next day there wasn't a blade 
left. The garden was eaten up too— nothing but the holes 
where the turnips and onions were planted were lelt. 

We had no wheat that year; but those who did had a good 
crop. 

We planted squash when we planted the corn, and the 
grasshoppers almost destroyed the vines, but after the 'hop- 
pers left we were blessed with several good rains, and the 
vines began to bloom nicely and finally made a good yield. 



pioneer Slietcbes. 19 

We put the squashes away in a dug-out for winter; father 
also sold $25 worth at 10 cents each. 

We did not have butter to put on our squash, as we had 
no feed to keep the cattle up. So father thought the cows 
would do butter to let them go through the winter without 
giving milk, and they were turned dry in the fall — conse- 
quently we had neither butter or milk. To our surprise the 
cattle kept fat all winter from running on the buffalo grass 
on the prairies. When there was no snow on the ground the 
stock would go out and pick the buffalo grass like it was 
summer — they would not eat nice bright hay when they 
could get the buffalo grass— and there was plenty of it, as 
the upland had very little of any other kind. 

During the fall we had to butcher the two or three hogs 
we had to keep them from starving to death, and they were 
so poor that they did not contain grease enough to fry them- 
selves in. 

Other states sent aid to this section during the winter. 
Our distributing point was Edgar. Father would go after m 
load early in the morning and make the trip in a day. He 
would start from Edgar with 2000 pounds of supplies, and by 
the time he reached home he had made a trip of about 40 
miles, and th ^y would set him out a 50ft) sack of corn meal 
for his day's work. We had to sift out the mouse nests 
from some of it before we could eat. We alway had plenty 
of such as it was to 1- eep from starving, but it was corn- 
bread seven days in the week. We often had callers who 
who were as hungry as we to share the cornbread with, but 
had nothing with which to pay for what they ate, yet no one 
was turned away hungry or refused a night's lodging; ev- 
ery man was a brother whether we had ever seen him be- 
fore or not. 

Father traded a neckyoke to a neighbor for a bushel of 



ao pioneer Shetcbes. 

potatoes. Mother would boil one or two for the younger 
children, and the older ones would eat the pealinrs; this 
would make mother cry, but we did not know we were hurt- 
ing her feelings by potato pealings. 

Sometime in the latter part of the winter or early spring 
father traded his oxen and wagon for a team of horses and 
and wagon— just changed drivers. 

The nearest grist mill was at Hebron, thirty miles away. 

We had no corn or oats with which to feed the horses, so 
we got some wheat through the "aid," which we boiled and 
gave to each animal a quart at a feed, and they did nicely on 
this ration. Today, what could we do with one small team 
for breaking prairie and raising a orop? Then, in a short 
time, we traded for a span of small mules, but they had 
been overheat and when warm weather came were not much 
force; these we traded for another team of horses, one of 
which was said to be balky, but we never saw him balk — 
these animals were small, in fact most all the horses here at 
that time were small; I do not remember seeing a team that 
would weigh over 1200. 

The grasshoppers had laid their eggs in the sod in the 
fall, and during a warm spell of weather the following 
spring they hatched out, and then we had about three weeks 
of eold, chilly, rainy weather which caused the 'hoppers to 
perish. During that time father was setting back the scd, 
and the young 'hoppers would get into the furrow for shel- 
ter and by the time the team came around in plowing the 
'hoppers were so thick they would cause the horses to slip. 
If they had been full grown they would have filled the fur- 
row. In the winter we placed a pod of the eggs on a fire- 
shovel and then poured boiling water on the eggs, and. in- 
stead of cooking them, in five minutes we had a full-formed 
'hopper in each egg. 




W. B. VVRKiHT. 



pioneer Shctcbes. 21 

During the first year we were here Indian relics were so 
common we did not take any notice of them. We found lots 
of arrow-heads and stones for grinding food; we also found 
brass rings, buckels, a canteen, arrow-points and empty 
cartridge hulls around the carcass' of the buffalo; in those 
days many deer and elk horns were quite plentiful, which 
today would be valuable as relics, but we never thought of 
■aving them, and they lay around the house until lost or 
picked up by people visiting from other states. 

The first five years, from '73 to *78, were the trying 
times. We never heard a sermon for four years, and had 
no Bible schools until years after. You look at this country 
now and see the wealth and everything civilization brings, 
but you can never realize the cost of it all to the pioneer. I 
feel like taking off my hat when I meet these old men of 
courage who had hearts of steel, and who always gave a 
warm welcome to the stranger in need of food or shelter. In 
these men and women still is found the greatest hospitality 
today. There are very few exceptions to these principles of 
the pioneer life. We cannot show to high appreciation for 
what th«y have done for us. 




JAMES PAUKERSON 



DEATH OP JAMES PARKERSON, AGED lib YEARS. 



w 



E are called upon this week to chronicle an event 
which very seldom falls to the lot of the average 
editor — publish the obituary of a citizen who has 
lived one full century and in part of two others; 
but such is our duty today. The town was shock- 
ed when word went out that the oldest citizen of 
the city had "crossed over the riyer," and the news was 
received with much regret. 

James Parkerson was born in the State of Tennessee^ 
October 22, 1793, and died in Hico, Texas, November 17, 
1911, at the advance age of 118 years, 1 month and 26 days. 
His faithful companion, who is past 92 years ot age, was 
with him at the time his spirit took its departure. 

The funeral was conducted at the residence at 1 o'clock 
Saturday afternoon, Rev. Britton Ross, pastor of the Bap- 
tist church, performing the last sad rites. Interment was 
made in the Hico cemetery. 

We deem it a privilege to have known a man who had 
such vitality and vim to master Old Father Time as did 
this man, but regret that we have not taken the opportui- 
ties to learn some of his interesting history. However, 
through the kindness of Mr. G. Pisk, editor of the Cisco 
Round-Up, we are permitted to reprint the following 
sketch which appeared in a special edition of that excellent 



1 FIoi)ri!ite(l from The lli^o (Ti=!slis> Ncws-:3ovIcw. rtuto of Xovemhcr 24. Ii)ll, 



24 pioneer ShetcbCi?. 

paper issued some two years a^'-o, at which time Mr. Park- 
erson was a resident of Cisco: 

James Parkerson, living near Cisco, is said to be the 
oldest man living". He was born on the 22nd day of Octo- 
ber, 1793, in the State of Tennessee. He has lived in three 
centuries, and has fougfht in every one of our country's 
wars since 1812. As shown bj'^ gfovernment and veteran 
pension rolls he served in the Black Hawk war, Mexican 
war and the Texas Independence war, and draws a pen- 
sion, $16.00 per month, from the Black Hawk war. He was 
with Hickory Jackson in his wars and in the New Orleans 
battle. He lived in Eastland county before the war, on 
the Leon. Beingf a Confederate soldier he attends the 
Eastland count3' reunion, and is sure from year to year 
that he will attend the next meeting". He is the father of 
eight children, has thirty grand-children living, and he 
does not know how many great-grand-children. His sec- 
ond wife, now ninety years old, is still living. Two of his 
sisters, each over one hundred years old. Jive in Fort 
Smith, Arkansas. It is remarkable to say he has never 
worn glasses, can read without them. Having used tobac- 
co for about twentj'^ years, he is not a slave to it. Over fif- 
ty 3'ears ago he joined the Baptist church and has lived 
the consistant life of a christian ever since. Verj' few of 
his teeth have been given to the dentist, and his hair is on- 
ly medium grej'. Has a heavy beard, is quite erect in fig- 
ure, walks with a cane, and it takes a 3'oung man to keep 
apace with him. In conversation with him as to how he 
had fared through life, he said he had been hungry many 
times, living on pop corn for a week at a time, but at the 
hard intervals in life he gave verj' little thought to some- 
thing for himself, it was always for others. After a con- 
versation with him it should make the young of today take 
on new aspirations, and strive to live as long as this old 
man has, and at his extreme age be as active. 



THE FAMOUS DOVE CREEK FIGHT. 



THROUGH the courtesy of some of the few surviv- 
ors of the famous Dove Creek figfht, we give be- 
low a sketch of the marches and history of the 
fight from the time marcli was taken up until it 
ended. 

Mr. George Scrutchfield of Clifton has furn- 
ished us with data taken from the diary of his father, the 
late Judge Scrutchfiield, who was a member of the party. 
Judge Scrutchfield kept tab on the dates and many inter- 
esting incidents that the students of today have not heard 
of, and which are not only a part of the history of Texaa, 
but are interesting to read. 

There are only six survivors of this fight that are now 
living in Comanche county, these being Jack Wright, John 
Anderson, George Jaynes, Aaron Cunningham, Dave Cun- 
ningham, Dick Cunningham. 

We are pleased to be able to give our readers an ac- 
count of this expedition, which was the biggest Indian 
fight that ever took place in Texas, and while not written 
in the Texas histories, it was a turning point in her his- 
tory. Without the Dove Creek fight Texas' history would 
no doubt have been different from what has been recorded. 
The following is taken from the diary of Judge Scrutch- 
field: 

"Friday, Dec. 16, 1864. Order came for the militia to 



1 Reprinted from The Comanche (Texas) Chief, date of November 25, 1911. 



■2(j Ipioiicei Slictcbcs. 

meet at Meridian on the 18th. Capt. Gillintine had dis 
covered a camp and trail of Indians on the Clear Fork of 
the Brazos, 35 miles above Fort Phantom Hill. Capt. Tot- 
ton and I started to Waco in the evening" and rode until 
late in the night. 

"Dec. 17. We gfot to Waco, bought 6,000 caps, got four 
Tonks for trailers. Captain left that night for home. I 
stayed. 

"Dec. 18. Came home with the Indians. 

"Dec. 19. Reached Meridian at 9 o'clock in the night 
in the rain. 

"Dec. 20. Reached Wiley's store in the snow. 

"Dec. 21. Reached Stephenville. Snow deep. 

"Dec. 22. Camped 6 miles above Stephenville. 

"Dec. 23. Marched to Jamison's Peak and camped, 
horses stampeded in the night. 

"Dec. 24. Stayed in camp all day. Huntea horses. 

"Dec. 25. Marched all day; camped above Flanigan's 
ranch. 

"Dec. 20. Reached Camp Salmon. Companj' organiz- 
ed. Whole strength, 500 men. 

"Dec. 27. Marched all daj' and camped at night in 
mesquite flat on Hubbard's Creek. 

"Dec. 28. Left camp in the evening and maiched five 
miles and camped. 

"Dec. 29. Marched three miles and camped. 

"Dec. 30. March all day. Camp on the Clear Fork. 
No grass. Very cold. 

"Dec. 31. March half day to grass. Kill several buf- 
faloes. 

"Jan. 1, 1865. Marched to Elm Creek, close to Indian 
trail. Camped and killed several buffaloes in the evening. 



Ipioueer Sketcbes. 27 

"Jan. 2, Marched to Little Elm Creek on the trail. 
Went out in the evening- and killed a buffalo. Saw the 
Double Mountains, higfh topped hills on the head of the 
Brazos. 

"Jan. 3. March on trail to head ot Elm Creek and 
camp in a flat. 

"Jan. 4. March on trail to Oak Creek. 

"Jan. 5. Reached the Colorado. 

"Jan. 6. (Manuscript to dim to decipher.) 

"Jan. 7. Camped on the Concho. At 9 o'clock express 
came from Capt. Fossett that the Indians' camp was dis- 
covered 35 miles distant. In saddle in ten minutes. March 
until 2 o'clock. Halt, form a line and issue caps. March 
on until daj' the 8th, dismount, load gfuns, mount and ride 
on across Spring- Creek. Join Fossett with 200 men. 
Made the attack. Got whipped. Twenty men killed and 
25 wounded. Fell back 6 miles to Spring Creek, a running- 
creek. 

"Jan. 9. Stayed in camp; snow 15 inches deep. 

"Jan. 10. Marched down the Concho carrying- the 
wounded on litters — snow deep — starvation in the camp. 
Camped on the Concho. 

"Jan. 11. March all day. 

"Jan. 12. Stayed in camp and sold the Indian horses. 
Two men dead; still carrying corpses on litters. 

"Jan. 13. March all day and camp at night in the bed 
of a creek. 

"Jan. 14. Reach settlement on the Concho. 

"Jan. 15. Bury the dead and cross Colorado River and 
camp on Elm Creek. 

"Jan. 16. Camp on Muke Water. 

".Tan. 17. Cross Pecan Ba5'ou. 



28 pioneer Sketcbcs. 

"Jan. 18. Cross the mountains. 

"Jan. 19. Cross the Leon. 

"Jan. 20. Reach Mills Creek. 

"Jan. 21. Reach home." 



The following" was told to us by Uncle John Anderson, 
who is well known to the people ot Comanche, and who 
has displayed his w^onderful memory in gfiving" the sketch 
as he has, w^hich follows: 

"James H. Mabry and Capt. Gillintine are buried one 
mile above the mouth of the Cjncho, at Bruce McCain's. 
After the battle was over we marched to the mouth of the 
Concho, where we pitched camp. 1 was acquainted with 
Bruce McCain, and I weni to him and asked if he would let 
us have some lumber to make coffins for our comrades; he 
stated that he would let us have the lumber, but that he 
would have to take it from the walls of his house, which he 
did. He tore a petition from the house to furnish us the 
lumber to bury the two dead. 

"Gillintine w^as killed in the Dove Creek fig-ht. He, 
Capt. Cunningham and myself were behind a second bank, 
side by side loading our g"uns, and Gillintine walked be- 
hind us and said he was groing" to get upon the bank and 
said he was g"oing" to g'et a shot at the Indians. We tried 
to g'et him not to do it, that he would gfet killed, and he 
said he was g'oing- to try one shot. He g^ot up there and 
walked about one step and his g"un fired. He turned and 
handed his g'un to me, and I asked him if he was hurt, and 
he said: 'John, I am a dead man.' I let him down. I took 
his gfun and let the hammer down and started with him and 



Ipioueer Sketcbcs. 29 

met some of his men and turned him over to them, and I 
went back to where Capt. Cunningham was, and he had 
moved, and they all commenced fallingf back into the val- 
ley. 

"We were then right in range of the Indians, and I told 
Scrutchfield that there was no use for us to sit therein line 
as targets for those Indians. They had long-range guns 
and overshot us was all that saved us. He said: 'I won't 
move without Capt. Cunningham moves.' I said: 'I will 
see the Captain,' and I went and told him how the thing 
was. He said: 'Totton will rally the men, I never will.' 
And some of the men spoke up and said: 'We had better 
get away from here;' and Ike Richardson came along and 
said: 'John, I want a drink,' and I said: 'I do, too.' I 
sent my canteen to Mabry and we started up the creek, and 
I cast my eyes into the thicket to our left and told Ike to 
look into that thicket. When he did, he turned to me and 
said: 'Ha! ha! I don't want any water either.' And we 
didn't go on after the water. We went on up on the hill 
and there were eight or ten boys stopped, and it was right 
from there that I killed two Indians, and I think I killed 
tne one that had killed Noah Bibles. 

"Capt. Gillintine died Monday evening just as the sun 
went down. Sam Burnes was left in the thicket. They 
went back later and got him and buried him. A number 
were sent back to the battle field the next day to bury the 
dead that he had left. Among these I remember, Ike 
Richardson, who afterward died at Hamilton; Daye Smith, 
who was once sheriff of Hamilton, and who died there; Bill 
Poole of Falls county and Jim McCabe, Capt. Totten, 
probably Sam Powers, and several others I cannot recall. 
I met them as they reached the top of the hill, and Totten 



ao piouecv SI?ctcbC5. 

asked me if I wanted to go with them. I told him I would 
if there was no more running', and he stated there would 
positively be no running" this time. And I went. The dead 
were buried on the Concho river just about one mile above 
where it runs into the Colorado river. 

"Georg-e Jaynes, who now resides in Comanche, was 
cut off from the crowd by the Indians, and left on the bat- 
tle field, thoug'h not wounded. I met John Jaynes g'oing' 
back to hunt him that evening", and I told him that Georg"e 
was not killed. He slipped into camp after dark that 
night. He said the Indians were packing up to leave when 
he left there. 

"Some have the mistaken idea that Capt. Totten was a 
strang^er in this county at the time of this expedition, and 
that he was a coward. I was with him during" the march 
and in the battle, and no braver man has ever faced the 
enemy upon any battle field. I had known Capt. Totten 
several years before this time, he having" been one of the 
boys of this country. He did not know the meaning of the 
word surrender, and, in fact, was too determined in the 
fight. While he was a modest man and had plenty of 
friends, he believed that he was fighting for his friends and 
his countr3^, and was a stayer all the way through. Alter 
the war he went to Brazil, and I understand that since that 
time he came back and went to Illinois. I do not know 
whether he is still living." 



Uncle Dave Cunningham, who needs no introduction to 
you, shows a remarkable recollection in the following his- 
tory of this fight; his account parallels the two preceeding", 
and is as follows: 

'In December, 1864, Capt. Gillintine, Erath county, 



IPioiiecr Shctcbes. 31 

with a scout of rangers, while on the upper Brazos discov- 
ered a large Indian trail leading off in a southwesterly di- 
rection. He followed the trail until he satisfied himself 
that they were too strong for his small force, and also that 
their presence in the country, he believed, meant disturb- 
ance and trouble. He immediately gave the alarm 
throughout the settlements, and all the available force in 
the counties of Erath, Johnson, Bosque, Coryell, Hamilton, 
Comanche, Brown and Coleman were mustered with orders 
to meet at Camp Selman on Deep Creek, nov7 in Stephens 
county. 

"When Capt. Gillintine returned home he dispatched 
word to Capt. Barry, who at the time was on the frontier 
with troops. Barry forthwith sent a squad of his men in- 
to the Colorado country to watch the movement of the In- 
dians until Gillentine could get his force ready, which took 
several days. We started from Comanche on the 21st of 
December with forty men under command of James Cun- 
ningham, with Lieut. J. A. Wright and Jessie Gre^^ne, and 
succeeded in reaching Camp Selman three or four days 
later, where reinforcements from the several counties be- 
fore mentioned rallied. Our force numbered about four 
hundred strong. With Capt. Totten in command, we re- 
sumed our march. We struck the trail on the Clear Pork 
of the Brazos. It lead in a southwesterly direction and 
crossed the Colorado about where Colorado City is now 
located, thence to the North Concho. 

"After several daj's travel, and when in camp on North 
Concho, one night about 9 o'clock a courier rode in from 
Barry's men who were under command of Barry's men who 
were under com.mand of Capt. Fossett, and reported that 
the Indians were encamped on Dove Creek about forty 



32 Ipioiiecv Shetcbcij. 

miles distance. Orders were gfiven to saddle at once. A 
detail was ordered to take care of the pack mules and to 
follow on the next morning". Fossett sent word for us to 
be there two hours by sun or we would be too late for the 
fight. A forced march all night, facing the coldest south 
wind that mortal man ever experienced, brought us to the 
place where Barry's men were camped about 8 o'clock on 
the morning of January 8, 1865. 

"On our arrival we found Fossett's command located 
and secreted in a clump of timber, within a mile and a half 
of the Indians' camp. A war council was held by our of- 
ficers and the plan of attack quickh^ agreed upon. The In- 
dian encampment was on a creek and was about three 
quarters of a mile in extent. The plan agreed upon was 
that Fossett should attack on the west or upper encamp- 
ment, and Totten the lower or eastern division. All 
things in readiness, with about five hundred men, the at- 
tack was made, and Fossett captured between six hundred 
and a thousand horses upon his first charge into the Indi- 
ans' camp, and detailed a few of his men to hold them in 
the valley until the fight was over. But the fight was not 
over as soon as the captain supposed it would be, for in 
his first charge he lost several men, killed and wounded, 
together with several horses. In fact, the fight was so hot 
that Oapt. Fossett had to retreat. He took a position on 
a hill, but the Indians soon made him leave. All this time 
Capt. Totten's men were fighting down the creek, but to 
little purpose, as the Indians being well fortified in a 
dense thicket, we had to dismount and leave our horses 
some distance north of the Indians' encampment and wade 
Dove Creek, which was from knee to waist deep, to get at 
the Indians. This we did several times, and in conse- 



pioneer Shetcbes. 33 

quence suffered great loss, as we were laboring- under great 
disadvantag-es. 

"On account of this the men bceame very much dis- 
couraged and a stampede was imminent. 

"Capt. Fossett was completely cut off from us. We 
had lost heavily. The Indians had recaptured their horses. 
It was thought best to retreat, which we did. But it was 
a hard matter to make us do so in order, Capt. Cunning- 
ham's company bring up the rear of the retreat. 

"Dr. Bateman took position on a little mountain north 
of the Indians' encampment so he could receive and care 
for the wounded men as they fell back to the rear, which 
he did with promptness. He said he fought five hours and 
thirty minutes before the retreat commenced. While we 
were retreating, the Indians flanked us on both sides and 
came up in the rear. They used long- range guns and kill- 
ed several of our men on the retreat. After traveling- 
about one mile, we halted and made another fight, and 
drove the Indians back to their camp, this being the last 
attack made by Totten's men. 

"All this time Capt. Fossett was fighting on the creek 
above (or west) of us. We then moved north to Spring 
Creek, carrying our wounded on blankets and horses as 
best we could. We struck camp about sunset. Capt. Fos- 
sett fought in self defense nearly all day. He was cut off 
from Totten's command early in the engagement and never 
saw any chance to join us during the day. Fossett came 
into our camp between sundown and dark, with his men 
terribly cut up. They had fought like demons all day. 

"After we were all in camp, an examination showed 
that we had lost and left twenty-six killed on the battle- 
ground, and sixty wounded, of which several died after- 



wards. We lost sixt}' or seventi' horses killed and disabl- 
ed in the figfht. 

"Just after dark it set in to snowing and snowed all 
nigfht. The following: morning' the ground was covered 
from a depth of one to three feet with the fleecy covering. 
Our pack mules were completely cut off from us by the 
storm. We were out of provisions and started to travel, 
but the snow was so deep we could not, so we had to re- 
turn to our camp-fires and await the melting of the snow. 
We had nothing to subsist on but horse meat. Our pack 
had some provisions, but were completely hemmed in bj' 
storm some thirty miles distant. After the snow had melt- 
ed a little, we moved down the Concho as best we could, 
carrying our wounded on litters made of two poles strip- 
ped to two mules or horses. About the third day we inter- 
cepted our pack mules. They had enough provisions to 
give us a fine supper. 

"While we were in the Colorado country it was thought 
best to have some beeves, and a detail was made to go to 
the nearest cattle and follow on. Rev. S. H. Powers was 
put in command of the detail for that purpose. He w mt 
and procured the beeves and followed on until the snDW 
storm, which obliterated our trail until he too, as the pack 
mules did, had to take his own course. But luck was on 
our side. The beef men struck our trail after the snow 
storm and followed on until they overtook us, which was 
about three days. They secured eighteen or twenty 
beeves which were killed, and the most of them eaten that 
night. 

"The next day we marched on down the Concho, reach- 
ing Chism ranch about two days later. There we obtained 
some provisions and camped that night. 



pioneer Sketcbes. 35 

"The following- day Capt. Totten with about fifty men 
went back to the battle-grounds, g^athered up the dead and 
buried them the best they could. 

"The night after the battle the Indians built fires all 
over the encampment, packed up and started across the 
staked plains in the worst snow storm that we have any 
history of in this part of Texas. They must have suffered 
terribly with cold, as I learned afterwards that the loss 
they sustained in the fight and their travel across the 
plains that night was seventy or eig^hty; our loss being, as 
before stated, twenty-six left on the battle-field, several 
dying afterwards. 

"We captured about seventy-five head of horses. The 
four Tonkawa Indians, that we Lad with us, deserve the 
credit for this, for when they saw that it was a bad fight, 
they gathered the stock and pushed for the pack mules. 

"We made our way home from the Chism ranch at the 
mouth of the Concho River as best we could, g-athering- up 
just such provision as we could g^et. 

"Thus the Dove Creek expedition and fight was ended. 

"The battle was fought on the 8th day of January, 1865, 
between five hundred Texas Rangfers and fifteen hundred 
or two thousand Indian warriors, on the lonely plains 
south of Dove Creek, and on this battle-ground lie the re- 
mains of twenty noble braves, there to await the call of 
the Master at the resurrection." 




MURDER OF ANN WHITNEY AND AMANDA HOW- 
ARD'S BRAVERY. 1 

BY CAPT. A. J. SO WELL., AN EX-RANGER. 

HERE stood (in 1867) on the south bank of the Leon 
river in Hamilton county, a small log" school 
house. A beautiful valley three-quarters of a 
mile wide and one and one-half miles long- spread 
out in front — free from obstruction to view. This 
was called "Worlene Valley." The Howards liv- 
ed half a mile west and John Bagg-ott half a mile east of 
the school house. Ezekiel Manning^ and Alexander Powers 
lived one and a half miles south, but behind a hill. The 
Massengills, Gann.-^., Strangelines, Cole Kuykendall and 
James Kuykendall lived up the river within two miles. J. 
B. Hendrix and sons, Crockett and Abe, lived two miles 
below the river, Judg-e D. C. Snow and Nel Living-ston, 
three and four miles down stream. The town of Hamilton 
was six miles southwest of the school house. 

At the time the incident related here took place, Miss 
Ann Whitney was teaching in this border school. It was 
on Thursday, 2 p. m., July 11, 1867. The logs of the school 
house were unhewn and the spaces between were left open 



1 This account of the heroic death of Miss Whitney, written by Capt.A.J.Sowell, 
appeared in the Houston Post several years afro. In 1902 it was republished in the Ham- 
ilton Hustler and some years later was ag'ain reproduced in the Hanulton Herald at the 
reiiuestof \j. V. Manning:, a citizen of Hamilton county, who was one of the pupils in 
Miss Whitney's school when his teacher was so cruelly murdered by Indians. We re- 
produce the story from The El Paso Morning 'J'im«s. February 29, 1912. 



IPioneer Shctcbeg. 37 

so that it was an easy matter for any one outside to see 
the inside of the building and to shoot at any one there if 
they wished to. There was a small window cut in the north 
side, and this was without a shutter. Olivia Barbee, about 
12 years old, daughter of John Barbee, who lived north- 
east, about ten or twelve miles, was boarding" in the neigh- 
borhood. Her father was a stockman and was expected to 
come after her that week while out stock hunting. 

On this day at the hour mentioned, a daughter of Alex- 
ander Powers was at the door, which was on the south side 
of the house, overlooking the valley. While there she dis- 
covered a party of men on horseback, rapidly approach- 
ing, and was almost certain they were Indians. Miss 
Whitney seeing her standing at the door and looking so 
steadily, ask her what she saw. The reply was that she 
was looking at some mounted men in the valley who were 
coming toward the school house and she thought they were 
Indians. The school mistress told her to come away and 
be seated, and not to be so foolish as to talk about Indi- 
ans, as the men were cow hunters. 

Miss Whitney believed that it was Mr. Bagbee and oth- 
ers and did not look to see anything about them. The Pow- 
ers girl, however, was still uneasy and soon went to the 
door again and took another look, crying out as she did so: 
"They are Indians," and running back, took her brother by 
the hand and getting out of the window, ran away. Miss 
Whitney then went to the door and after seeing the men 
told her children they were Indians and that they were 
taking Mary. Mary was the name of a fine saddle animal, 
the pet and property of Miss Whitney. She often made 
the remark, "If the Indians ever take Mary I want them to 
taKe me too." 



38 pioneer Shetcbes. 

When she became satisfied who the men were, she shut 
the door and told the children to escape by the window, so 
the Indians could not see them as they were comings up in 
front. All did this except Mary Jane, a daughter of Ezek- 
iel Manning-, who was sick, and two small sons and a little 
daughter of James M. Kuykendall, Miss Whitney was 
very large and fleshy, weighing about 230 pounds, and 
could neither get out of the window or hope to escape by 
running out at the door. 

Many of the children, instead of seeking safety in the 
distance, crawled under the house, and there witnessed 
the terrible scene which was enacted in the building. The 
Indians soon surrounded the house and many ugly faces 
were seen at the cracks between the logs. One fellow in- 
dulged in a few oaths in broken English, 

Reading her doom in the blood-thirstj' looks of the sav- 
ages, Miss Whitney's thoughts turned to the little ones 
that were in her care and addressing the Indian who had 
spoken the words in English, begged him to let her death 
satisfy them and permit the children to go unharmed. 

The Indian addressed, held up three fingers to the bal- 
ance and they commenced shooting between the logs. 
The sick little Manning girl clung to the skirts of her 
teacher's dress, as arrow after arrow struck her, until her 
life blood began to pour upon the floor and run through 
upon those under it. Miss Whitney v;alked from side to 
side of the room, marking every footstep with blood, and 
all the time entreating for the lives of the children. 

The Indians finally came in front and commenced break- 
ing in the door and Miss Whitney, although reeling and 
staggering in death, assisted the two little girls in getting 
out of the window, but Miss Kuykendall received an arrow 



pioneer Shetcbes, 39 

in the back as she went throug^h, by an Indian who had at 
that time entered. This left the teacher and the two Kuy- 
kendall boys in the house and another Indian entered to 
complete the work, but too late to do any further harm to 
the young" woman. She was gaspiner her last, meeting" 
death heroically. 

The Indian who could speak English was now called 
and when he entered asked the two boys if they wished to 
go with them. One, in his fright, said "yes" and the other 
said "no." Strange to say, the one who said "no," was 
rudely pushed down on a seat and left in the house, while 
the other was taken out placed on a horse and carried 
away. This was John Kuykendall. 

In the meantime one of the redskins called into the 
house had discovered some of the children under the floor 
and had pulled Olivia Barbee out and was putting her up 
behind him when summoned to speak to the boys. This 
circumstance saved her from death or captivity for when 
the Indians left her she ran away and gained the woods. On 
the following day she was found by John Massengill, but 
the poor child was crazed with fright, and ran, so that he 
had to chase and run her down before bringing her in. She, 
however, soon recovered. 

About the time the Indians made the attack on the 
school house two women rode into the valley from the 
south. They were Miss Amanda Howard and Mrs. Sarah 
Howard, the latter being the wife of Voley Howard, Miss 
Amanda's brother. They saw the Indians at the school 
house and at first took them to be cow hunters. They were 
discovered by the Indians before they had ridden far up the 
valley and two of them rode to meet them. 

Fortunately the ladies soon saw their mistake and turn- 



40 pioneer Shetcbes. 

ed to the house of Mr. Bag-gfett, toward the east which was 
nearer than their own home on the west side, the Indians 
comingf in hot pursuit of them. Miss Howard had some dif- 
ficulty in turning- and starting- her young- horse, but when 
she had succeeded in doing- so, the Indians were close upon 
her. She, however, was a brave young- lady and never 
once lost her presence of mind. 

Plying- the whip vigorously, she dashed away from her 
pursuers and headed straight for Baggett's fence, determ- 
ined to make her horse leap it if she could. For this pur- 
pose she lashed him furiously, and he cleared it at a sing-le 
bound, carrying- his burden to safety in Baggett's house. 
Mrs. Sarah Howard did not fare so well; her horse shied 
and turned suddenly to one side just as the fence was 
reached. She was thrown headlong over the fence and the 
Indians g-ot her horse. However, she was not badly hurt, 
and springing- to her feet, also escaped to Mr. Baggett's 
home. 

While Miss Whitney was being: killed at the school 
house and the other two women pursued, Mr. Strang-eline 
entered at the west end of the valley at the Howard place 
and had proceeded about half way across the valley when 
he was attacked by some of the Indians who were leaving-. 
Mr. Strang-eline was moving- and had his family with him. 
He was killed but not scalped. His wife and two children 
were wounded. 

About this time Miss Amanda Howard, seeing what was 
g-oing on, formed the bold desigfn to warn the settlers of 
the presence of the Indians. To do this she would have to 
ride in the direction of the Indians and outride them in get- 
ting to the road that crossed the high hill to the south that 
led to the other settlement. Having determined upon this, 



pioneer Sf?etcbes. 41 

she mounted her half wild steed and commenced her dan- 
gferous ride. 

Dashing" furiously at the fence she agfain cleared it, and 
putting" the whip to her horse, she urged him to his best 
speed. Miss Howard was well started before the Indians 
discovered what her aim was, and when they did, they left 
off the attack upon Strangeline's family and rushed at full 
speed to head off the young woman. Miss Howard's mis- 
sion was an heroic undertaking for any man to attempt, 
even a fearless Texas ranger, on a fast and well trained 
horse. She was riding" into the very jaws of death, with- 
out a weapon of defense, depending" on her skill alone in 
managing an unbroken horse, not bridle-wise, and the 
speed that she might be able to get out of him to carry the 
news to distant settlements of the fearful scenes enacted 
in the valley. Happily, she won the race a few rods and 
swept past the Indians, gaining the road and turning east; 
while the Indians hurriedly turned west and left the valley, 
carrying the Kuykendall boy with them. 

The daring" of Miss Howard, a beautiful and intelligent 
young" woman, scarcely seventeen years of ag"e, no doubt 
saved many lives. Her first act, when she made the horse 
leap the fence to gain Bag"gett's house, drew the Indians 
away from the school house, and when she made the run 
to reach the road, so as to carry the news out of the val- 
ley, she drew them away from the Strangelines, and once 
more from the school house. All hail the name of Miss 
Amanda Howard, and may her memory ever be kept green 
in the minds of her countrymen. 

We must not, however, forget the dead young lady at 
the school house whose bloody form was stiffening in death. 
Time and again she begged the Indians to kill her and let 



42 Ipioneer Shetcbes. 

the little ones gfo, and with her last remaining- strength, 
her body, full of arrows and bathed in blood, she assisted 
two of them to get throug^h the window while the Indians 
were breaking in the door. 

Miss Howard reached the Manning" and Power ranches 
and warned them; then sped on to see Mr. Hendrix, who at 
once sent his son, Abe, to the Pearson ranch for blood- 
hounds. Pearson called his dog's and with the Howards, 
Mr. Hendrix and several others, took the trail which led 
into the mountains, where the Indians separated. The day 
was hot and there was no water to be had. The dogs final- 
ly failed, owing- to the fact that their feet were bruised and 
swollen. A man whose horse had given out, was sent 
back with them, and the chase continued until night put an 
end to it. The men had ridden more than one hundred 
miles without stopping-. The Indians were well mounted, 
but had bandoned all of the horses they were driving and 
g-ave all of their attention to making their escape. 

The Kuykendall bo3'^ remained with the Indians about 
two years, and was finally purchased from them and re- 
stored to his father. 



THE BEAUTIFUL STEER.i 

Oh, the steer, the beautiful steer, 
Kicking- the fleas from the point of his ear, 
Flapping- its tail in its frolicsome glee, 
Hopping about like a Snake-river flea. 
Bellowing-! 

Roaring"! 

Thundering: along! 
Pilling- the air with its steerical song-, 
Till the rumble from its lung--]aden pits 
Scares timid jack-rabbits and wolves into fits, 
To me there is nothing: on earth half so dear 
As the long--horned, slim-bodied Texican steer. 

How often I wish that I was a steer. 
With a long- shiny horn at the butt of each ear; 
With a clear, fearless eye, and a tapering- tail 
That would snap like a whip in the maddening- gale. 
How I'd beller 
And roar! 

And paw up the ground! 
And lope over the hills with a thundering sound. 
And snort like a terror, and hump up my back 
When I saw the wild cow-boy pursuing- my track — 
And I'd laug-h at his oaths as he fell to the rear, 
Oh, I'd be a Jo-dandy if I was a steer! 



1 The author of this poem, Miss Ella Paxton, known as the "Cow-girl of the Pan- 
handle," several years ago favored an enlightened western audience with the above 
original production, which, in her introductory remarks, she styled a "paradox on 
"Beautiful Snow." She also stated that it was "paradoxed" while sitting on her horse 
on day-herd on her father's ranch in the Panhandle, situated about three miles from 
Mobetio. Texas. We copy same from a clipping in a scrap book which we made sev- 
eral years ago. 



44 pioneer Shetcbes. 



I once roped a beautiful steer — but I fell, 
Pell from my pony with ear piercing" yell! 
Fell with the lariat fast to my wrist! 
Pell to be drag"gred through the grass wet with mist. 
Bumping! 

Rolling! 

Grunting I went! 
A full mile a minute, or I don't want a cent. 
The gravel and grass yanked the hide from my nose 
And ruined a pair of forty-cent hose; 
Aye, even my bustle was thrown out of gear 
By the frolicsome freaks of that beautiful steer. 




INTERESTING EVENTS OP EARLY DAYS. 



A 



N interesting- visitor called at the Times-Herald of- 
fice yesterday afternoon in the person ot G. Mer- 
cer ("Pet") Smith. He was gfiven the name of 
"Pet" by his father, way back in Missouri, when 
he strayed from home, as a little chap, and was 
lost in the woods. 
Mr. Smith now lives at Walnut Springs, and this is his 
second visit to Waco since 1878. It's hardly necessary to 
state that he found some changes, and he was astonished 
by the spirit of progressiveuess he encountered on every 
hand. Mr. Smith is a most interesting speaker, and he 
gave an entertaining summary of early days ill this vicin- 
ity. 

He came to Waco the first time in about 1876, and he 
drove the stage from Waco to Gatesville. One day, near 
the East Bosque, the stage was held up and robbed by a 
lone highwayman There were five passengers in the 
stage at that time, and two of these recalled by Mr. 
Smith were Bob Gamby of Gatesville and a Mr, Stovall^ of 
Hamilton. The robber took all the money and valuables in 
the possession of the passengers. The same man a short 
time later, robbed the stage operating between San An- 
tonio and Rockdale, an.;! also the one utilized on another 



1 Printed in tUe Waco Time.s-Herald. March 30, 1913. and reprinted in tbe Hico 
News-Review. April 4. 1913. 

2 This Mr. Stovall was a brother of J. VV. Stovall of Hico, who is now deceased. 
He was at one time a citizen of both Hico and Hamilton. 



46 pioneer Sketches. 

line in tbat immediate neigh borhood. Tliere were tour 
soldiers aboard the stagfe coach, who had declared they 
would like to see the one man that could rob them; they 
saw him, and he robbed them, too. Mr. Smith said the 
party who perpetrated the robbery was later captured 
and gfiven a term of 99 years. 

When he first began driving- the stage, Mr. Smith said 
he secured a six-shooter, but he was advised by one of the 
oldtimers, a stage driver, also, to leave off his shooting 
iron. This party told him that it would result in him be 
ing killed, as he was paid to carry the mails not to sacri 
tice his life to protect such mail matter as might be en- 
trusted to him. 

There are many of the older citizens here who recall 
Mr. Smith, and two of those with whom he is well ac- 
quainted are Messrs. Ed Rotan and T. J. Primm. 




FIRST WAGON THliOUGH TOWN OB^ INDIAN GAP. 



IN the early part of 1913 the Arroiv was established 
at Indian Gap, Hamilton county, Texas, by Mr. 
O. G. Campbell of Gustine, with Clyde Hammers 
of Dublin as editor, and was the first newspaper 
venture in this little burgf. One of the first is- 
sues contained the following' bit of interesting' 
history of that section: 

"Known all over Texas ior the picturesque beauty of 
its location, unsurpassed in gfrandure by the Pyrenean 
rang"e of Prance, cling^ing" to the sides and on top of the 
surrounding" hills, Indian Gap, is indeed, to be envied. 

"A little more than fifty years ag^o a party of early set- 
tlers, who had settled near where Newbure" now stands, 
org-anized a party to cut a road from there to Lampasas 
and as the g"ap in the mountain where Indian Gap is now 
located was in their path, a road was cut throug'h the g"ap, 
then heavily covered with timber and matted with under- 
brush. Among- the party was Aaron Cunning-ham, now liv- 
ing at Comanche, who, according- to his statement, was 
the first man to drive a wag-on throug-h the g-ap, the sur- 
rounding- country at that time being- unfenced and to a cer- 
tain extent unknown. 

"It was many years after before the cocks crow ever 
broke the morning stillness, or the woodchoppers ax echo- 
ed against the hills that are now covered with a growing 
town, but the black, rolling prairies, stretching away on 
every side as far as the eye can see, were too rich and too 



48 IPioneer Sf^etcbes. 

valuable to remain long- untilled after the early settlers 
had seen and heard of it, and it was during: the late 60s 
that cabins begfan to dot the valleys along- the Cowhouse, 
and the settler's ax cleared out little patches in the rich 
cover on the mountains.'" 



The Coniauc'ie Uhitf, under date of February lo, at 
g-reater ieng-th describes this first wagon through Indian 
Gap: 

"Referring to the story of Aaron Cunningham of Co- 
manche; this is a true story, and we are indeed grateful to 
the Arrow for placing it upon the pages of their history. 
It was in the year 1856 that the incident above referred to 
occurred. Mr. Cunningham and nine others, including his 
father, Capt. James Cunningham, T. J. Holmsley, Dave 
Cunningham, his brother, Mr. Bonds, Bill Reed, Dave 
Parks, Mr. Mercer, from whom Mercer creek g-ot its name, 
and the others, the names of whom have been forgotten. 
Aaron Cunning-ham was driving he first wagon, and it was 
by this reason that he was the first man to move a wagon 
between the two mountains. 

'"The company depended upon securing groceries and 
other necessaries of life from Williamson county. Here- 
tofore, they had been forced to travel the government road 
by way of Gatesville, and it was for shortening the dist 
ance to market that the new road was cut thiough this sec 
tion. They passed through Indian Gap to a distance of 
about one and a half miles, crossed the ridge between 
School-land Cove and the branch where the Geralds set- 
tled, and from School-land Cove they followed the Lam 
pasas river to Hart's ranch, and from there to Gillette's 



Ipioneer SMetcbes. 49 

ranch. Prom this point a road had already been prepared. 
On reaching: the end of the old road all the crowd, except 
Aaron Cunningfham and Dave Parks, returned home, the 
latter two proceeding^ on to Williamson county for gfro- 
ceries. A crossing was made on Cowhouse creek just 
above the nomestead of the Prices, which road is used for 
a crossingf at this time. 

"In those days this was one of the best sections for 
wild g"ame in this portion of the state — deer abounding 
across those prai'-ies in great herds, plenty of bear and 
buffaloes, besides all kinds of small game." 




FIRST ELECTION HELD IN BOSQUE COUNTY.' 



THE people of Clifton and surrounding" countrj' seem 
very much interested in the historic spot where 
the first election was held in this precinct, which 
was under the largfe live oak tree near the home 
of Tom M. Pool, at the roadside in his pasture, 
and are considering- seriously the erection of a 
monument to the memorj' of these worthy people of our 
country by placing- their names thereon and also the names 
of the first county officers elected at this memorable elec- 
tion, wiiich were as follows: County Judg-e, L. H. ^crutch 
field; County Clerk, J. N. Mabrv; Sheriff, Presley Bryant; 
Tax Assessor, Isaac Gary: Treasurer, Archie Kell. 

Mr. M. P. Kell has g-iven the people of Clifton some 
interesting- history of the first election held in Bosque 
county. There were but three voting- boxes in the county 
at the first election, which were as follows: One at Me- 
ridian: one at Van Hag-ans, on the Brazos river just below 
the mouth of Steel's creek; and the other under a larg-e live 
oak tree on Tom M. Pool's farm, about three miles south 
of Clifton; and it is the last place mentioned that ('lifton 
people are so vitally interested in. 

It is with much satisfaction to our people that Mr. Kell 
is able to ffive from memory all names of those who voted 
in this precinct under the oak at the first election which 
was held on the tirst Monday in Autrust, 1854. J. K. Hel- 



1 Reprinted Troin the t'liftou Itecord. .Viiril. Iftl.^. 



pioneer Shetcbes. 5i 

ton was the presiding' officer, and tliere were nineteen 
votes cast and tlieir names were as follows: Captain Un- 
derbill, J. N. Mabry, Jas. iMabry, L. H. Scrutchfield, Wm. 
Gary, Gafey Gary, Isaac Gary, Mat Gary, John Roberson, 
John Thomas, P. M. Keli, Archie Kell, Wm. McCurry, Jack 
McCurry, Lum McCurry, Samuel Locker, J. P. Locker, 
Nathaniel Morg-an and J. K Helton. 

Much praise is due to these nineteen frontiermen that 
faced the hardships of a frontier country and laid the 
foundations for civilization in this section. These noble 
patriots have all gone to reap their reward in that land 
where frontier life is unknown, with the exception of P. M. 
Kell of this city, who is now in his eighty-first year. 

Mr. Tom M. Pool has volunteered to g^ive several acres 
of land around this old oak tree for the purpose of being 
made into a public park and a monument erected to the 
memory of those noble men who participated in the above 
mentioned election. This move is g"aining much interest 
with our people and it is thought there will be no trouble 
in pushing it to completion. 



EARLY SCHOOLS OF DUBLIN, TEXAS. 



\T ERY soon in its life as a community the little set- 
tlement of "Doubling''" began to pay attention to 
educational matters. In 1859 the tinj' collection 
of pioneers augmented by the removal from Cow 
creek of the families of Wm. (Big Bill) Keith, and 
G. W. O'Neal, about twenty in number, had its 
very first school under the management of Mrs. Sarah 
Keith O'Neal. This bride, for ^hc had married C. M. O'Neal 
on Jul> 4, 1859, thus inaugurated the schools of what «'^ 
call Dublin. Succeeding her came her uncle, "Jim" Keith. 
This man is worthj' of special mention, because he was 
possessed of a true pedagogic spirit. 

At that time the same Indians, who had by their "full 
o' the moon"" horse-stealing raids, broken up the Cow 
creek home.>-', and driven them to Resley's creek, because 
more convenient for "doubling up,"' rendered it very un" 
safe for children to traverse the prairies alone. Two miles 
east of Dublin lived a widow, Mrs. Burnett, who wished to 
send her children to this school — "everybody, big and lit- 
tle, old and young, was going to it." "Jim'" Keith trudged 
over that two miles each morning and afternoon that 
these fatherless children might be accomoanied to school, 
and kept safe from the red marauders oyer whose fresh 
trails they often passed. 

Very pri:nilive and crude were the equipments ot llie 



1 Piiper rend by Mrs, S. <;. Latlimore :il ihe layiiitr of the oovner-siono nf tlit'iiew 
Hifjli -^ohool buildinV. Dublin. .April 4. I91J 



IPioiiecr Shelcbes. 58 

da\', but tliey did Lhe best thei' could. Thei' provided a 
logc school room, added to it when needed. The earth sup- 
plied the floor, and log's spilt in two — puncheons— furnish- 
ed the seats. The infant town of StephenvilJe, and the 
more distant one of Meridian, were the depots for. supplies 
of "'blue-backed spellers,"' "Smith's Grammars," and 
"Aiodern Geographies.' On a teacher's certilicate a few 
years later than this immediate period, one will find the 
subjects, '"Spanish, French, and German."' 

Tliree of these log school houses were used at different 
times — one uuder the big live oaks now standing not far 
from Nick Keith's former home; one in Nick Keith's 3'ard, 
to be used as his kitchen when not required for school; and 
one over in what is now a bare field, but the location is 
still determined by an old well, being where "Grandpa 
Keith'" once lived. If needed for a dwelling the teacher 
and pupils moved out beneath the convenient live oaks. 

One of these earliest teachers. Miss Adelia Burnett, 
still lives with us as Mrs. Blackstock, and delights to re- 
call the experiences of those days. Mr. Elliott was also 
among the early school masters. 

In 1876 Mr. Wm. Keith and his good wife bought the 
lumber, having it hauled from the three nearest big towns 
— Waco, Port Worth and Dallas — and gave it to the town, 
after having the two storied frame structure erected. It 
was the Baptist church, but furnished with desks and 
seats for school use. The second story was a Masonic 
hall. The bell, bought in St. Louis, and broug^ht on train 
free of charge to B'ort Worth, was also their g-ift. This his- 
toric bell perished in the flames which destroyed the Bap- 
tist church on the nig^ht of January 10, 1913. 

In this house Mr. Morris taugfht the first public school 



54 IPioneer Sketcbes. 

in Dublin. He was succeeded by Mrs. Cannon, who here 
taught one hundred and one pupils, assisted by four of 
them — Misses Cava Coleman, Josie Arthur, Joe Leslie, and 
Pallie Keith, now Mrs. Ben Higginbotham of Stephenville. 
She was followed by Miss Mina Everette, whose dramatic 
conversion from an atheistic belief to a fervent, active 
missionary spirit and life, forms one of the principal 
events in the religious history of Dublin. There were a 
few teachers whose names I have not been able to obtain. 
Rev. Ruben Ross, for a long time pastor of the Baptist 
church, was at one tim^ teacher in the school in the years 
immediatel3' following the Civil war. 

The school in the old town ceased to have a separate 
existence when the Fort Worth & Rio Grande (now Frisco) 
right-of-way passing through the school building caused 
its removal and destruction. Messrs. Wiley eind Gibson 
were among the latest teachers there. 

One of the first schools on the north side of the Central 
railroad was taught bj' a Mr. Pelham. Several of his pu- 
pils are in Dublin now, and delight to recall his custom of 
wearing carpet slippers, which were convenient to hurl at 
any offending culprit, accompanied by dire threats, never 
executed. 

In 1883 Rev. Mr. Mcllhany taught in Liu- unpainted 
"box" building recently purchased from the Presbyterians 
by the Baptists. He was assisted by Miss Willie Durham, 
now Mrs. John W. Higginbotham. A curiain divided the 
space into two rooms. The spring of 1884, Miss May Cas- 
well, afterwards Mrs. J. H. Latham, taught a private 
school of three months in the same building. 

The Dublin Public school may be said to have had its 
birth in September, 1884, when Rev. J. L. Laltimore was 



Ipioneer Shetcbes. 55 

employed for a ten months' term by the trustees — P. C. 
Oldham, W. B. Davis, W. J. Dayies, Joe Bishop and A. W. 
Townsend. Mr. Lattimore was assisted by his wife, Mrs. 
£. C. Lattimore, and daugfhter, Kate, now Mrs. R, B. 
Spencer, of Waco. Under the direction of Mr.. Lattimore, 
in 1896, ground was purchased and a two-storied, four- 
room building- erected. This structure was afterward en- 
larged by the addition of six more rooms and was used un- 
til its destruction by fire in 1900. 

In 1901 the present handsome structure replaced the 
rather unsightly old house, wnich, however, had served 
long and well. 

In 1886 Mr. W. J. Clay became superintendent and held 
his office many years. Succeeding him have been C. G. 
Poust, E. I. Hall, G. H, Read and J. W. Dunlap. The prog- 
ress of the school has been continuous and gratifying, and 
we "know not what it shall be." 




DEATH OF P[l()P\ ALIiERT 1). WALLACE.' 



T 



HERE died in the lioine iiospital here [Austin] 
P'ebruary 7 a veteran whose death I chronicled at 
the time, but who was worthy of more than pass 
ing- notice and a more txtensive paragfraph than 
I devoted to his demise at the time. In the per- 
son of the gfentleman whose name heads this 
sketch, Albert David Wallace was born in Alabama and 
i^rew to manhood in and near Auburn in that state. He had just 
reached his majority when the call to arms came in 1861, 
and he was amon^'" the first to respond to that call, enlist- 
ing" in a company made up in and around Auburn, which 
became company G, Sixth Alabama infantry, which reg"i- 
ment was perhaps better known at the beg^inning- of tlie 
war as the Louchapoka Rifles. The first colonel of the 
regiment was the gallant and dashing- John B. Gordon, who 
later attained the rank of major general and who after the 
war was governor of Georgia and served several terms in the 
United States congress. As soon as the regiment was or- 
ganized, it proceeded at once to the seat of war in Vir- 
ginia, where it became a part of the Army of Northern 
Virginia. Of course, the reader of history need not be told 
that after the first battle the fighting in Virginia became 
fast and furious as well as desperate and bloody. For a 
long time Virginia was the battle ground between the con- 
tending forces and battles followed each other in quick 



1 From "Tales Told by !i Johnny Reb " by Tiiylor Thompson in Fort Worth (Texns) 
Record. Februnry 3K. 19IiS. 



Ipioiieer Sl^etcbee. 57 

succession. The command to which Mr. Wallace belongfed 
took part in nearly all of the big- baitles in Virginia and 
Mr. Wallace was alwa^'s in his place in the ranks in every 
battle in which his command participated, and strange as 
it may seem, he passed through all those .scenes of danger 
unscratchcd, as if he had borne a charmed life. I saw a 
statement somewhere recently to the eifect that there had 
been more men killed within a radius of thirty miles, tak- 
ing Petersburg, Va , as a center, than on the same extent 
of territory anywhere in the world. That, however, was 
prior to the beginning of the present gigantic European 
war. I believe North Carolina furnished more men to the 
Confederate army than any other state, and I have little 
doubt that Alabama was second or third in the list as to 
the number of men furnished. At any rate, she furnished 
a large number, and the troops from Alabama were noted 
for their courage and soldierly bearing". 

Mr. Wallace stayed with the cause until it was lost and 
the last gun had been tired. When the fatal hour came 
when Lee's battered leg^ions stacked arms and surrender^ 
ed, Mr. Wallace was color-bearer of his regiment. When 
the surrender came he tore the flag" he bore from its staff, 
tore the flag into two pieces, gave one piece to Major Cul- 
ver and tore the other piece into several pieces and dis- 
tributed them among his comrades. Mrs. Wallace, wife of 
deceased, told me a few days ago that she had a letter from 
Major Culver in which that gentleman stated that he still 
had in his possession a piece of the flag which Mr. Wallace 
gave him at that time. 

At the close of hostilities Mr. Wallace returned to his 
home, and in 1870 came to Texas. After a year spent in 
this state he went back to Alabama, but in 1873 returned 



r)S pioneer Shetcbes. 

to Texas and has resided here ever since. He tirst located 
at Marlin, but had resided at various other points, but lo- 
cated permanently at Marlin about twenty years ago. In 
1877 he was married at Hico to Miss Lucie Stinnett, and 
his estimable wife survives him. Soon after coming" to 
Texas Mr. Wallace began the work of teaching, continu- 
ing in that work as long as he was able to follow any occu- 
pation, and he was well and favorably known as an educa- 
tor wherever he taught, and in whatever community he re- 
sided in commanded the respect and esteem of all who 
knew him. For the oast seven years he had been bed rid- 
den, owing to paralysis and in 1913 he was admitted to the 
home. He was a consistent member of the Methodist 
church, was a gentleman of culture and refinement, and on 
many a battle-field half a century ago he displayed that 
daring and courage which go to make up the brave and 
gallant soldier. His trials and sufferings are ended now, 
and I have no doubt that when he reached the pearly gates 
of the celestial city there was no question as to his admis- 
sion. 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 






014 495 485 3 



